Your mess is mine

The beginning of what seemed like the end

The smell of chimney smoke and contented eleven year olds replaced the polluted air of London's streets as I had finally reached platform 9 3/4 .

Even though I had come across many troubles in my past, every time I had managed to overcome them before they overcome me .
This time was different.

I climbed onto the train as the last whistle was blown for last minute passengers and made my way to the Slytherin carriage.
I passed the same plain faces I come across every year that never seem to change at all yet change so much - until I came across one familiar face.

"Oh thank god" Alana called out
"I was hoping to see a warm face somewhere, I thought I was going to go mad!"

Alana was my one and only friend at Hogwarts. I had never really fit in with a group of friends. In 1st year everyone seemed the same until I met Alana.
We prefer each others company really.
Alana hated almost everyone and everyone in Slytherin seemed to hate me all because I was friends with students from other houses ?

If I'm honest, it was probably down to the fact that I hosted a birthday party for Alana last year, invited all the other houses and had them come as the Slytherin student they hated the most.
We thought it was hilarious, clearly they didn't but besides the point - we were used to it by now, clearly they're not over it.

It was our 6th year, we only had one more after this.
Two years that should really be the best years of my life but wasn't because of one man's greed.

She reached out and gave me a warm hug.
Alana's hugs always seemed to cheer me up no matter what mood I was in.
5 minutes into the train ride I had to compose myself because of how bad my stomach ached from laughter.
This was obviously looked down on in the Slytherin carriage because as pure blood you're not allowed to show any humanly emotion possible as it could result in feeling happy.
Realistically though, I had never heard a Slytherin laugh unless it was out of spite or sarcasm.

As I was trying not to look at Alana out of fear that I would start laughing again, Draco Malfoy
dawdled past me, down the isle making his way towards pansy, blasé and the rest of their evil mates.

"What's got your tongue" I utter " to be honest I expected a sarky comment but looks like I beat you to it"
Alana sniggered
Nothing. No response.
Instead he turned around, looked down at me, turned away and walked on. He looked at me not with a hateful glare but with no emotion.
"That was weird" I muttered to Alana
She responded "he's a weird boy"
"Yes but something about him has changed. It's almost as if that's not Draco..."